EOKA

The National Organization of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA) was a Greek Cypriot nationalist guerrilla organization that was active from 1955 to 1959 and from 1971 to 1974. The EOKA fought a campaign for the end of British rule in Cyprus, for the island's self-determination, and eventual union with Greece. The movement was loosely linked to the Enosis (union) movement in Cyprus,  demanding an end to British military rule and the union between the island and Greece. With this aim, it organized five years of guerrilla warfare from 1954/5. Its commander was Colonel Georgios Grivas, whose terrorist attacks were aimed mostly at the British Army. After independence in 1960 it continued to operate underground as EOKA-B, but was now directly aimed against Makarios III and independent rule for the island. It sought to bring about union when it carried out a coup in 1974 with the encouragement of the Greek colonels. This brought about a Turkish invasion of Northern Cyprus, however, and made union of the whole island with Greece even more difficult.